So, Valentine’s day is nearly here and the shops are bombarding us with all the things we “should” be buying in order to show our loved ones just how special they are; because clearly no one will know how special they are unless they have been gifted an overpriced heart shaped box of chocolates, a cuddly toy too big to fit anywhere in the house and a tacky cupid emblazoned card complete with insipidly sweet sentiment of just how amazing and gorgeous said person is!
And the worst thing about all this valentines tat? It comes at a price.
Image by: danielmoyle
If you too are wishing Valentine’s day would just disappear off the calendar because you simply can’t afford to buy into this stupid sickly sweet, hearts and roses, nonsense of a day so soon after Christmas, (but your other half has a different idea) then we are here for you!
There is no need to spend an arm and a leg to show your other half how much you love them (because that is the point of Valentine’s day right? Not chocolate and roses) here are a few tips for getting through Valentine’s Day on a budget:
Discount vouchers
Now this may seem like a bit of a cheat but there are many Valentine’s day dinner worthy restaurants that offer discount vouchers online, why pay full price for a dinner out just because it is Valentine’s day when you can get two meals for the price of one.
If your other half doesn’t think you should be using vouchers for your special dinner, just point out that the money you will save means you can take them to the cinema too (which you can find vouchers for as well of course).
Free dates
If a special date is what your other half values most about Valentine’s Day and you simply can’t afford a nice meal (even with the wondrous discount vouchers) there is no need to panic. There are plenty of options for a special Valentine’s Day date that you can take your special someone on, and it’s absolutely free.
If your Valentine is an outdoors type (and it isn’t raining) plan a special walk in the park, hike in the woods or a picnic on the beach. If they are the cultural type you can take them to a free art exhibition or for a day visiting museums or a poetry reading.
Does this all sound awful to you? Good… your other half will appreciate the gesture all the more if the activity is one they normally have to drag you to kicking and screaming.
A special night in
No… a special night in is not just a way to be lazy and not bother taking your other half out for a romantic night; at least it isn’t if you do it right! Choose a DVD to watch, but don’t choose one you will enjoy, choose the one that never comes off the shelf because you hate it so much you will never let them watch it.
Then either cook their favourite meal for them, or if cooking is just too much like hard work or would result in them having food poisoning, get the take away menu out. Again, the choice of take away menu is what takes this option from being the lazy way out to being a thoughtful gesture; make sure you choose their absolute favourite even if you hate it.
Then all you need is to arrange some comfy pillows, light some atmospheric candles and Bob’s-your-uncle, you have a special and not at all lazy special night in.
Make your gift
Now that you have saved all that money on your Valentine’s date you could in theory buy a super amazing present… or you could spend minimal money and make one instead!
Here is a little secret the shops don’t tell you, your Valentine will appreciate a thoughtful handmade gift more than a generic box of chocolates or fluffy teddy. This however is not true of ladies and flowers, all women love to get flowers, I’m not sure why. It is just the way we are made.
But you don’t need to buy the flowers; if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where flowers are growing freely a lovely bunch of handpicked flowers would be perfect (and free!).
Say I love you
Unfortunately one thing you can’t avoid on this wonderful day of love and romance is being a little bit sappy. It is after all the whole point of the day. But the best thing is, saying ‘I love you’ is completely free!
Finding adorable and cute ways to say I love you all day long could even be enough to allow you to not bother with all the rest of the Valentine’s Day guff.
Here are a few ideas; you could write it on the mirror for them to see when they step out of the shower, you could write it on a note and slip it in their wallet/purse to find when they buy their lunch. You could steal the newspaper they take to read on their commute and write it over their horoscope (If they bellieve in that sort of thing).
So there you have it a few simple tips to get through Valentine’s Day without having to shell out a fortune, or even put it that much effort!
Do you have any great ideas for a great Valentine’s Day? Let us know below!
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February 10, 2024
lifestyle